May 16, 2011

The largest global grouping of Reformed churches has approved a strategic plan for 2011- 2017 that focuses on youth leadership development, increased collaboration with regional church groups, and a call to make visible the connection between Reformed theology and justice concerns. The decision came during meetings of the Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, last week.

"The spirit of change is moving through the global family of Reformed churches," WCRC President, Jerry Pillay says. "This is the time for us to focus our efforts in responding to the needs of a hurting and broken world. We can"t do it all. Now is the time to choose what to do and to prepare ourselves to do it well."

Executive Committee discussions focused on a strategic plan for 2011-2017, the year of the organization"s next global agenda-setting gathering. The plan was developed following the launch of WCRC in June 2010, following the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council in Grand Rapids, United States.

Omega Bula of the United Church of Canada coordinated the Strategic Planning Team whose members were appointed from Malaysia, Uruguay, Northern Ireland, and the United States, South Africa and Canada.

The plan points to the importance of communicating what it means to be a member of the Reformed church tradition and to working with regional church groups to address gender, economic and environmental concerns. Mission and the study of Reformed theology in today"s world, along with renewed worship models, will be key to the work of the organization in coming years.

In welcoming the adoption of the plan, WCRC General Secretary Setri Nyomi, says, "This helps the staff team discern how best to meet the priority needs named by member churches and key partners in response to the Strategic Planning Team"s request for input."

This process of prioritizing is particularly important, Nyomi says, given the small staff team in Geneva – two programme staff, one communication staff person, one finance staff person and a support team of two assistants.

One of the programme positions will be vacant until later in the year when a new Executive Secretary for Justice and Partnership will be named to replace Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth who leaves the post at the end of May.

In his report on finances, the General Treasurer, Gottfried Locher, told the Executive Committee that funding for programmes such as theological education, gender justice and mission is strong. Locher noted, however, that financing for the core budget of the organization remains a concern. Core budget costs include salaries, office space, travel, and communication.

"The problem is not with expenses," Locher says. "It is with income. The rising value of the Swiss franc against other currencies means WCRC realizes less income from donations made in US dollars, for example."

WCRC"s Finance Officer, Yueh Cho reported that 60 member churches have not paid their annual contribution in over three years. In response, the Executive Committee voted to enforce a constitutional provision that calls for church membership to be suspended when a church fails to respond to correspondence about arrears in contributions. The churches in arrears will first be given time to make up the amount due.

The Executive Committee approved a balanced budget for 2011 while endorsing the call for all member churches to pay their membership dues. Work continues on fundraising initiatives in support of the WCRC Endowment Fund in North America. Fundraising opportunities in other regions of the world are under discussion.

The Executive Committee concluded its meetings by paying tribute to the Executive Secretary for Justice and Partnership, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth who is leaving her position to return to her native Guyana.

In his comments, WCRC"s General Secretary told Sheerattan-Bisnauth: "Your commitment to justice is remarkable and has made a difference in the lives of women and men in our churches all over the world. On the staff team your ability to make possible what others say is impossible is a great gift to the World Communion of Reformed Churches."

Representatives from the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, and the Council for European Churches praised Sheerattan-Bisnauth for her collaboration in ecumenical programmes focused on gender rights, environmental concerns, and economic justice.

The Guyanese pastor said her years with WCRC had offered wonderful opportunities to meet and work with gifted people from around the world. These experiences have convinced her, she says, that church people can make a difference, even if organizations like WCRC have limited financial resources.

"Small ways are big ways," Sheerattan-Bisnauth told the group. "WCRC is like the biblical parable of the feeding of the 5000 with five loaves and two fishes. God will never leave us without what we need to do our work," she says.

WCRC was created in June 2010 through a merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC). Its 230 member churches representing 80 million Christians are active worldwide in initiatives supporting economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and cooperation among Christians of different traditions.

World Communion of Reformed Churches